Take a moment to think about your classes.  How many names do you know of the people in your classes? How many people in your classes do you just “forget” about?  It’s like they’re just filler; they’ve mastered the art of blending in. Think about the girl who sits quietly buried in her computer, or the boy who stares at his page and never says a peep.  I know it’s hard to branch out. For many, quiet means safe. Everyone carries their own load of stress and insecurities. As humans, we constantly crave peer connection and approval. Instead of letting our insecurities divide us, let’s use it to unite us.  In five years the social status of high school won’t matter. Start with something simple. You never know how something simple may affect someone. We’re all Laguna Beach Breakers, let’s start by saying hello.                  

The task of creating a more accepting world will not happen overnight. It takes one day for change to begin and many days for change to last.  Where there is no unity, there is no strength. Change occurs when a group of dedicated citizens unite, with the intention of creating something that may seem impossible, and dare to make the impossible a reality.  

Aiming to change the world is honorable; however, it can not be done alone.  Sometimes the most influential changes are the small ones. To help one person, is to help the world; maybe not the whole world but the world of one is enough. Everyone has a chapter which they choose not to read aloud. You never know what someone may be going through, and how one kind word or action may affect a person.  We’re all humans struggling in one way or another, let’s start with that; I promise we’re more alike than we are unalike. Our differences make us unique, and our similarities make us one.  

How do we create a more accepting community?  The answer, like most things, is a complex one.  Perhaps we should start with the mirror. How can we expect others to accept us when we don’t accept ourselves?  It’s all perspective. Feed yourself anger, jealousy, greed, lies, and resentment and you will feel those things to be true.  Feed yourself compassion, joy, hope, kindness, and truth and those things will appear in your life. Seek education beyond the textbook, and watch your mind expand and your heart overflow. It sounds incredibly cheesy but why not try it and see what happens.  Imagine what could happen if we change our perspectives and inspire others to do the same. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank